Download Types of general sense receptors (Based on Location)

General and Special Senses Worksheet Answer Key
Information about the senses moves from the receptors to the brain through the process of trasduction. Adaptation is the name of
the process that integrates the sensory information into the brain.
Types of general sense receptors (Based on Location)
Name
Exterceptors
Proprioceptors
Interoceptors
Description
Provide information about external
environment
Provide information about skeletal muscles and
joints
Provide information about visceral organs and
functions
Different way to categorize general sense receptors (Based on Sensation)
Name
Nocicreptors
Thermoreceptors
Description
Pain receptors
Temperature sensors
Location
-Superficial
portions of the skin
Types of
Type A  myelinated. Carry fast pain
Other information
-Free nerve endings have
large receptive fields 
makes it difficult to find the
exact source of painful
sensations
-Joint capsules
Type C  unmyelinated. Carry slow pain such
as burning/aching
-Around walls of
blood vessels
-Dermis of skin
n/a
-Cold receptors are 3-4x
more numerous than warm
receptors
A. Tactile receptors  Provide sensation of
touch, pressure and vibration
I.
Free nerve ending
II.
Root hair plexus
III.
Merkel Discs
IV.
Meissner’s corpuscles
V.
Pancinian corpuscles
VI.
Ruffini corpuscles
B. Barorecptors  detect pressure changes on
walls of blood vessels and visceral organs
C. Propriorectprs  Monitor the position of
joints
Most commonly used is O2 and CO2
N/a
-Skeletal muscle
-Liver
Mechanoreceptors
Sensitive to stimuli that
distort cell membrane
-Hypothalamus
-Blood vessels
-Skin
-Visceral organs
Chemoreceptors
Can detect small
changes in the
concentration of specific
chemicals
-Heart
-Brain
-can only be used for water
soluble and lipid soluble
molecules
Special Senses
Olfaction
Definition
Smell
Anatomy
2 layers
-olfactory epithelium  contain olfactory
receptors and does “smelling”
Lamina propria  contain olfactory glands
that produce mucous
Gustatory
Taste
The surface of the tongue is rough because
it contains 3 types of epithelium
projections
1. Filliform papillae  Provide
friction on tongue surface
2. Fungiform papillae  contain 5
taste buds each
3. Circumvallate papillae  contain
as many as 100 taste buds
Adaptation
-only sensory
information to reach
the cerebral cortex
without first going
through the thalamus
-limbic system
connects smells with
emotion
-Perception of taste is
produced as
information from taste
buds correlates with
other sensory
information (mainly
olfactory)
Diseases
n/a
n/a
Other Information
-50 different primary odor
types
-Each taste bud contains 40
gustatory cells that are
replaced every 10 days by
epithelial tissue
-There are 4 primary tastes
(sweet, sour, bitter, salt)
with possibly two extra. The
first is the taste of water.
The other is Umami  taste
of chicken/beef
Definiti
on
Vision Seeing
Anatomy
1. Palpebral  eyelids
2. 2. Meibomian glands  under the lids and secrete a lubricant
3. 3. Conjunctiva  epithelium lining of the eye lid and covering
of outer surface of the eye
4.
A. Palpebral conjunctiva (inside of eyelid)
5.
B. Ocular conjunctiva (outside of eyelid)
6.
7. 4. Lacrimal apparatus  produces, distributes, and removes
tears
8.
5. 2 chambers in the hollow eye
A. Anterior cavity Between cornea and lens. Filled with
watery aqueous humor.
B. Posterior cavity  Located behind the lens. Filled with
jelly vitreous humor
9. 6. 3 layers of the eye of the wall
A. Fibrous tunic (outer layer)
i. Sclera white of the eyes
ii. Cornea  transparent
B. Vascular tunic (middle layer)
i. Iris  Color disk in eye. Has an opening called the
pupil
ii. Ciliary Body  Holds the eye lens in place
iii.Choroid  Contains capillary network
C. Neural tunic (inner layer)
i. Rods  Allow us to see light
ii. Cones Allow us to see color
Adaptation
-Photoreceptors
transfer light energy
into nerve impulses
and transmit
information to the
cortex of the brain’s
occipital lobe
-Cranial Nerve II
involved in this
process.
-Some optic nerve
fibers cross to form
an optic chiasm
-Projected in our
brain as upside down
and backwards and
our brain “flips” our
vision for us
Diseases
Other
Informati
on
-Astigmatism  Irregularities n/a
in the surface of the cornea or
lens
-Myopia Near sightedness
-Hyperopia  Far
sightedness
Color blindness  Caused by
missing cone types
Cataracts  loss of
transparency of eye lens
Hearing
Definiti
on
Detecti
ng and
interpre
ting
sound
waves
Anatomy
Adaptation
Diseases
-Deafness 
Conductive is
outer/middle ear.
Sensory is inner ear.
-receptors are hair cells that respond to stimuli
moving
Sound waves arrive at
tympanic membrane
-external ear
-middle ear (tympanic cavity)
-inner ear (see detail in equilibrium)
Movement of
tympanic membrane
causes displacement of Otosclerosis ossicles
auditory ossicles
fuse and cannot vibrate.
Partial deafness
Movement of stapes at
the oval window
Tinnitus  Ringing in
establishes pressure
the ears
waves in the vestibular
duct
3 bones: malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), stapes
(stirrup)
Pressure waves distort
the basilar membrane
on their way to the
round window of the
tympanic duct
Vibrations of basilar
membrane cause
vibration of hair cells
Information is relayed
to the CNS
Other Information
n/a
Equilibrium
Definition
Provides
information
about the
position of
the head in
space
Anatomy
-receptors are hair cells that respond to
stimuli moving
-inner ear
A. Receptors lie in membranous labyrinth
B. Membranous labyrinth is covered by
bony labyrinth
C. Bony labyrinth is made up of the
vestibule (saccule + urticle) and the
semicircular canals
D. Cochlea is a bony chamber
Adaptation
Static  A macula
located in the
vestibule has hair cells
that connect to the
vestibular nerve.
Calcium carbonate
crystals called otoliths
press down giving the
head a sense of
position
-Dynamic
Semicircular canals
are filled with
endolymph that is
affected by interia as
the head moves. At the
end of each canal are
receptors called crista
ampullaris which
connect to the
vestibular nerve
Diseases
Vertigo  A whirling
sensation
Motion sickness 
Caused by sensory
input mismatches.
Otitis media 
Inflammation of the
middle ear
Other Information
n/a